Cushion for game tables



A. H. SEARLE CUSHION FOR GAME TABLES Filed May 9. 1925 Patented Use. llt, lQZG.

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ALLEN I-I. SEARLE, OE SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

CUSHION FOR GAME TABLES.

Application led May 9,

This invention relates to a cushion for game tables suchk as the one shown, but not claimed, in my application for U. S. patent filed April 3, 1923, Serial Number 629,614@

though it may also be used for ordinary bilgames in which u struction.

Third. Be easily applied.

Fourth. Be comparatively low inV cost.

In attaining these objects my improved cushion is preferably made of elastic or flexible material, such as a strip of rubber, this strip being Vfolded over and around a core preferablyv made of fibrous or flexible material, such as cotton rope, the fold and core extending longitudinally of the strip. The core with its covering of rubber, may

thus form a head or bead of substantially circular cross-section, supported on a stem formed of the two folded over portions of the strip brought together.

In applying the cushion to a table, the stem of the cuslion may rest on a coping extending around the table, the stem being clamped to the coping by means of a flat strip of suitable material, which may be held down iirmly by ordinary wood screws.

If desired, my improved cushion may consist of a molded head portiornin which is imbedded a core of any suitable material. the head being provided with an vintegral stem. serving the same purpose as the stem 'of the previously described construction.

In using this cushion, the resiliency is obtained in three different ways, which operate to augment each other. ln the iirst place, the cushion is mounted at an elevation somewhat above a plane passing throughI the center of the balls used on the table, the said plane being parallel to the plane of the table. Thus, a ball in striking` the cushion, tends to deflect the latter upwardly, causing a storage of energy in the cushion along a line forming one component of a triangle of forces. vThiscomponent is eflective to cause the rebound of the ball parallel to the plane of the table. Secondly, the

resilient cushion is subject to compression by the force of the striking ball, this energy being restored to the ball when the cushion trating certain modifications;

1925. Serial Il'o. 29,117.

springs back to its normal form. Thirdly, there will be a slight compression of the rubber between the ball and the core, when the former strikes the cushions, causing a further storage of energy. The collective energies` from these three storages is returned to the ball at substantially the same moment.

The features of this invention, for which the protection of Letters Patent is desired.

Y are collectively vgrouped intheV claims by which this specification is concluded.

In the drawing, which illustrates one ein-- bodiment of my invention, v

Fig.V 'l represents a plan of a game table equipped with my improved cushion; i'

Fig. 2, a section on line 2-2, considerably enlarged, and showing the cushion in crosssection;

Fig. 3, a'section similar to Fig. 4, a fragmentary portion of Fig. 2, illustrating approximately the distortion taking place in the cushion a moment after being struck by the ball;` i l y Fig. 5, a' fragmentary section showing a modified construction of the bead; and

6, a section showing a further construction.

-eferring to the drawing, the cushion comprises the head portion` 20, in which is enclosed the core 21, the head Vbeing supported by the stem portions 24 and 25. The material of which the portions 20, 24 and 25 are shaped, as shown in Fig. 2, is a ,flat strip of rubber or the'like, which maybe unwound from a reel, or be cut from a sheet,

the strip being folded `around the core 2l as shown. l

The game table may comprise an ordinary top 26 covered with a sheet of felt or other material 27, as usual. A coping 28 extends around the'table, and the upper face of the coping may be inclined or beveled, as shown at 29. The stem of the cushion may be clamped down on the face 29 by the strip 30, thelatter being` secured by the wood screws 3l. Thus a very broad bearing' is obtained for the stem, which insures a secure fastening for the same. f

The broken line 82 represents a portion of a ball resting on the table, the ball being inst in the act of hitting the cushion. The. first eect of the ball, after contacting the cushion, is to slightly compress the layerrof resilient materialbetween it and the core Fig. 2, illusllO 21; then as the ball is forced farther forward, by virtue of its stored energy, the tendency is to raise the head 2l, and to move the same slightly around an axis lying in proximity to and extending longitudinally with the neck 34, until a position indicated approximately by the d-otted line 20-1 is reached. Simultaneously with this action, the normal form of the head will bedistorted somewhat after the manner shown at QO-Q in Fig. 4. llien the propelling energy of the ball is spent, this energy will, in large measure, have been stored in the cushion. rEhe cushion, in returning to its normal form by virtue of the resiliency of its component members, will restore this energy to the ball, causing its rebound from the cushion.

The three ways, just touched upon, in which the energy is stored in the cushion, may be clearly visualized from Figs. 2 and 4. The compression of the layer of rubber and the resilient core, aswell as the return thereof to its normal form, with the conse quent restoration of energy to the ball, may be readily seen. It will also be clear that when the head 2O is lifted around the ilexile neck 34 as a pivot, the neck will be bent to approximately the form shown at 34-1 in Fig. 4. Subsequently, the neck in returning to its normal form, will exert upon the ball, the horizontal component of a certain force, somewhat after the manner indicated in the triangle of forces 35, in Fig. t.

The neck 34, it will be noticed in Figs. 2 and Il, is exposed, that is, it stands out free from the faces of the coping 28 and from the strip 31, so that the bending action just described, may be unobstructed. rlhe inclination of the face 29 has a tendency to facilitate this bending action of the neck 34;, by placing the parts in a favorable position foi" the action just described.

The general behavior of this cushion, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is entirely new so far as l am aware. It will be observed that theI upper layer of rubber Vat the neck, or in. other words, the upper half of the stem, is compressed, while the lower layer of rubber at the neck, or lower half of the stem, is tensioned or stretched, when the cushion is hit by a ball, thus resulting in the force represented by the horizontal component of the triangle of forces previously mentioned.

Fig. 3 shows the stem of the cushion substantially parallel to the plane of the table, and the neck of the cushion held in check above and below. In some cases this construction may be desirable, but flexing of the neck is thereby prevented, with a consequent reduction in the amount of energy restored to the ball. he compression of the cushion in this construction. causes the distortion of the cushion in the directions of the dotted lines 36, Fig. 3.

ycanvas, as indicated at 40.

ln some cases it may be desirable to mold the cushion head 37 and the stem 38, integrally with each other, as shown in Fig. 5, the head having imbedded therein, a core 3S) of any suitable material, such cotton rope, while the head and stem are reinforced by a strip of textile fabric, such as light ln the molded form, the shell of the head 37 may be made heavier al; or nea-r the point where it is struck by the balls, as shown at 4:1.

another modified form the cushion maiv be made of a narrow strip of sheet rubber 50, (3, placed around the core 51, while the short longitudinally extending stem proj ections are stitched or otherwise fastened to a main stem 58 made of a strip of heavy canvas or other suitable material.

While a specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be clearly understood that all the detailed parts thereof, may, or may not, be shown in the preferred forms, and further, that the preferred forms may be varied from time to time, as the development of this invention and the arts to which it appertains, progress; Therefore, that which forms an essential and characteristic part of this invention will be readily discernible from the claims in which its spirit is generalized.

Having fully described my invention, what l claim is:

l. A cushion, composed of a head of elastic material, a core of resilient material encased in the head, longitudinally therewith, a stem projecting longitudinally from said head, and a flexile neck where the said stem joins the said head. L

2. fr resilent cushion comprising a core, an elastic covering for said core, a stem projecting outwardly from said elastic covering and a llexile neck at the junction of the said stem wit-h the said covering.

3. A. cushion composed of a strip of flexible material and a resilient core encased in said strip, thereby forming a head, said core extending` longitudinally substantially along the median line of the said strip, and the two longitudinal edges of the strips being' brought together to form a stem for supporting the said head.

fl. A resilient cushion having a head of substantially cylindrical cross-section, with contracted neck portion, adjacent thereto, and i'neans for fastening said cushion longitudinally along the table surface, the fastening being so arranged thatthe neck will be exposed between the head and the fasteng. 5. A cushion comprising a head formed of a strip of elastic material, the strip being folded around said core, and its ends brought together to form a stem, a coping 'for supporting said stem, and means for 'fastening the stem to the coping in a manner which will leave exposed a. neck portion between the. said head and the face of the said coping.

6. A cushion comprising a head formed of a strip of flexible material folded around a core, the edges of said strip being brought together to form al stem, a table surface spaced apart vertically from the said cushion, a coping arranged along the table surface and a bearing portion on said coping for support-ing the said stein, the bearing portion being inclined to the plane of the table surface.

7. A cushion for game tables having a coping, said cushion comprising a head, a-

ALLEN H. sEARLE. 

